Geographical Vulnerability

Different places experience distinct physical aspects of climate change. For example, people living in floodplains or on low-lying coasts are exposed to much greater danger from flooding and sea level rise than people living inland or at higher elevations. Similarly, changes in rainfall patterns are projected to bring some areas more rain, while others will become drier. Geographic vulnerability is the degree to which a population, area, or infrastructure system will be subjected to climatic and environmental hazards, and is also what many organizations refer to as exposure to climate change.

Here are the factors we consider when assessing geographic vulnerability:

Localized flooding from rain events and CSO overflows (CSO: combined sewer overflows, in which heavy rain events overwhelm the sewer system, mixing stormwater and sewage and creating polluted water that gets sent directly into the river, and locally often backs-up around storm drains)